Diving in Costa Rica

Cocos Island — schooling hammerheads, whale sharks and tiger sharks, 36 hours offshore

3 yachts for liveaboard diving

Diving in Costa Rica

Costa Rica — Cocos Island, schooling hammerheads at Bajo Alcyone, whale sharks and tiger sharks. Liveaboard schedules and prices.

Why divers come here

  • Bajo Alcyone — schooling hammerheads over a seamount
  • Manuelita — night dives with hunting whitetip reef sharks
  • Dirty Rock — cleaning stations and powerful current
  • Whale sharks June–November, tiger sharks year-round
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site, 550 km from the mainland
  • Bat Islands and Isla del Caño — bull sharks and humpback whales near the coast

What you'll meet underwater

Scalloped hammerhead sharks (schools of up to hundreds) Scalloped hammerhead sharks (schools of up to hundreds)
Whale sharks (June–November) Whale sharks (June–November)
Tiger sharks Tiger sharks
Whitetip reef sharks (night hunting at Manuelita) Whitetip reef sharks (night hunting at Manuelita)
Bull sharks (Bat Islands) Bull sharks (Bat Islands)
Silky sharks Silky sharks
Mantas and eagle rays Mantas and eagle rays
Bottlenose dolphins and humpback whales (seasonal) Bottlenose dolphins and humpback whales (seasonal)
Photos: credits and licences

Practical information

Best season

June–November (rainy season, peak hammerhead and whale shark activity), December–May (calmer seas, better visibility)

Water temperature
24–29 °C
Visibility
10–30 m
Wetsuit

5 mm (thermoclines down to 20°C and below, a hood is useful)

Experience level

Advanced (strong currents, surge, deep dives in open ocean)

Getting there

Fly to San José (SJO) via Madrid, Istanbul or Panama City, then 2 hours by road to the port of Puntarenas and a 30–36 hour liveaboard crossing to Cocos.

Airports
San José (SJO), Liberia (LIR)
Visa

Visa-free entry for up to 90 days for most nationalities

a passport valid for the whole trip and a return ticket are required

Climate
Tropical, 24–32°C, rainy season May–November
Currency
Costa Rican colón (CRC), US dollars widely accepted
Language
Spanish
Time zone
UTC-6

Journeys — Costa Rica

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Cocos Island, Costa Rica. Schools of Hammerheads and Giant Rays Few Spots Left ★ 4.9

Cocos Island, Costa Rica

1 Nov 2027 · 15 days

Schools of Hammerheads and Giant Rays. Diving

from 7860 USD

Yachts & liveaboards — Costa Rica

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